NCAA Tournament Regional Breakdowns

Best potential matchup:

No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 4 Wisconsin - The Panthers would go up against one of the top duos in the nation in the Badgers' guard Jordan Taylor and skilled big man Jon Leuer if this Sweet 16 matchup materializes. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy and Ed Reinke)

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East: Ohio St. w...Ohio State drew the top-overall seed but won’t have an easy road, potentially having to play No. 4 Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

Thad Matta and John Calipari may not have an abundance of depth, but these two coaches are loaded in their starting lineups. The question is whether the Wildcats have an answer for Jared Sullinger.

Everywhere you seem to look, there’s a Big East team. Ohio State could meet Villanova in the second round, West Virginia in the Sweet 16 and Syracuse or Marquette in the Elite Eight.

This region also has its share of shocking bubble teams. Georgia was right on the bubble and didn’t just get in, it was rewarded with a No. 10 seed. UAB and Clemson also are surprising teams and will face one another in the First Four with the winner playing West Virginia.

This is a region also loaded with guards. Villanova has Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, Kentucky has Brandon Knight, Xavier boasts Tu Holloway, Marquette relies on Darius Johnson-Odom, Syracuse is led by Scoop Jardine and Washington leans heavily on Isaiah Thomas. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Best first-round...No. 8 George Mason vs. No. 9 Villanova — Can the Patriots, who had the magical Final Four run in 2006, knock off Jay Wright and the Wildcats, who have been a train wreck of late? (AP Photo/Scott K. Brown and Keith Srakocic)

Best potential m...No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Kentucky — Two of the most talented teams in the nation. Neither is overly deep, but both are loaded in their starting five. This one would have been even more entertaining if it had been Jared Sullinger vs. Enes Kanter. Instead it’s Sullinger vs. Josh Harrellson. (AP Photo/Dave Martin and Michael Conroy)

Upset special:No. 7 Washington over No. 2 North Carolina — The Huskies have some swagger back after winning the Pac-10 tourney. They are one of the few teams with the size to matchup with the Tar Heels, and Isaiah Thomas will be difficult for the UNC guards to contain. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong and Gerry Broome)

Cinderella?No. 11 Marquette — The Golden Eagles match up well against Xavier and already have beaten Syracuse this season, so don’t be shocked if Buzz Williams’ team goes to the Sweet 16. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

My pick:Ohio State — I picked the Buckeyes to win it all prior to the start of the season and I’m sticking with them. They have all the pieces, but they’ll be tested in the Sweet 16 — likely by Kentucky. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Storylines:Four Big East teams in this region:No. 3 Syracuse, No. 5 West Virginia, No. 9 Villanova and No. 11 Marquette. The Orange and Marquette could meet in the second round.

The Kentucky Wildcats lost to West Virginia last season in the Elite Eight when they couldn’t make shots from deep or from the free-throw line. John Calipari, with a new team, likely gets another shot at Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers in a second-round matchup.

West Virginia must wait to see who it plays: UAB or Clemson. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s an advantage or a disadvantage.

Talk about size. North Carolina’s length will be tested if the Tar Heels and their frontline of John Henson and Tyler Zeller go up against Washington’s Matthew Bryan-Amaning in a second-round matchup.

In fact, the Blue Devils drew arguably the most difficult Sweet 16 game in the entire tournament if they wind up facing No. 4 Texas.

The Longhorns have struggled of late, but this is a team that was playing as well as anyone in the nation – and their athleticism could really give Duke some difficulty.

San Diego State earned a No. 2 seed and much of the nation doesn’t know a lot about the Aztecs, but if Steve Fisher’s team is making shots from the perimeter, it can be tough to beat. If not, the Aztecs could be knocked out quickly – maybe in the second round against one of the most underrated coaches in the nation in Temple’s Fran Dunphy.

UConn is as hot as anyone and has its swagger back – and could see another Big East team in the second round in Cincinnati, or a Missouri team that has struggled down the stretch.

How about Arizona, which features one of the best players in America in Derrick Williams, having to get past Memphis and then Texas to get to the Sweet 16? (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

Best first-round...No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 12 Memphis – The Wildcats are led by sophomore forward Derrick Williams, whereas Memphis is loaded with freshman – including Will Barton and a resurging Joe Jackson. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong and Nikki Boertman)

Best potential m...No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Texas – This would be a fantastic Sweet 16 game. At one time, not all that long ago, you could make a case that these were the top two teams in the nation. I’d love to see Texas’ Dogus Balbay, one of the top perimeter defenders in the country, guarding Player of the Year candidate Nolan Smith. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone and Tony Gutierrez)

Upset special:No. 11 Missouri vs. No. 6 Cincinnati – Mike Anderson’s Tigers haven’t lived up to expectations, but they still have more talent than the Bearcats – and have experience in the Big Dance. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner and Frank Franklin II)

Cinderella?No. 11 Missouri – I’m not sure what’s gone wrong with the Tigers, but I still have faith in them – especially when they play in the Big Dance and go up against teams that haven’t seen anything like them and their relentless style. I think Mizzou could run all the way to the Elite Eight – as it did in 2009. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

My pick:No. 4 Texas – I’m going out on a limb here and going with the Longhorns – even though I’m worried about the reliability of Jordan Hamilton. If Hamilton buys in and is just adequate defensively, I love how this team guards. Hamilton is tough to contain on the offensive end, and Duke’s defense can be exploited. (AP Photo/ Ed Andrieski)

Storylines:Is there any shot that Duke freshman Kyrie Irving returns in the Big Dance? Remember, Irving went down with a toe injury on Dec. 4 and hasn’t played since. It appears unlikely he comes back, but no one has completely closed the door on it, either.

Is San Diego State for real? The Aztecs earned a No. 2 overall seed and will need to make shots from the perimeter in order to make a deep run.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner gets his first NCAA tournament bid as a head coach and opens up against his alma mater. The Tigers are extremely young, but have more overall talent than Arizona.

How will UConn respond to its Big East tournament run in which the Huskies won five games in five days. Kemba Walker & Co. will play Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Could this be the last hurrah for Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl? The Vols’ head coach is the focal point of an NCAA investigation and this could be his swan song in Knoxville. He opens up against Michigan and John Beilein – the head of the ethics committee - in the first round. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

There are also some big-time coaches with Tom Izzo, Jamie Dixon, Billy Donovan, Ben Howland, Mark Few, Bo Ryan and Brad Stevens manning the sidelines. Don’t be shocked if there are plenty of upsets in this region. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Best potential m...No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 4 Wisconsin - The Panthers would go up against one of the top duos in the nation in the Badgers' guard Jordan Taylor and skilled big man Jon Leuer if this Sweet 16 matchup materializes. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy and Ed Reinke)

Upset special:No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 6 St. John’s - I can’t believe this qualifies as an upset, but that’s what the numbers say. The 'Zags are playing well of late — and I just don’t trust the Red Storm all that much away from Madison Square Garden. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull and Mary Altaffer)

Cinderella?No. 10 Michigan State - I know the Spartans have been a train wreck for most of the season and Izzo is frustrated with this group, but I just couldn’t resist from taking Izzo as a dog. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

My pick:Pittsburgh - These guys have toughness, quality guard play and enough big bodies up front. The Panthers also have experience — and one heck of a coach in Dixon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Storylines:A year ago, The Jimmer knocked Florida out of the Big Dance in the first round. Now the Gators get another shot — but now everyone knows about Jimmer Fredette.

Who would have ever thought that Michigan State and UCLA would be matching up in a 7-10 game? But Izzo’s Spartans go in as the No. 10 seed and Howland’s Bruins are the No. 7 seed.

Which Kansas State team will show up? The Wildcats were one of the major disappointments early in the season, but came on strong down the stretch. Can Jake Pullen continue his stellar play of the past month?

Mid-Major Darlings. Two of the top mid-major programs in the country, Butler and Gonzaga, are both in the region — and both finished strong with conference tournament titles to earn the automatic berth. Can either one make some noise this March?

Lavin’s Return. Steve Lavin took over a St. John’s team that is loaded with seniors and he’s made college hoops in New York relevant again. However, the Red Storm lost D.J. Kennedy to a season-ending knee injury earlier this week — and we’ll see whether the Johnnies can get past Gonzaga in the first round without him. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Southwest: Kansa...Kansas was knocked off in the second round by Northern Iowa last season. Don’t expect the Jayhawks to bow out quite as quickly this year.

Bill Self might go up against his former team, Illinois, in the second round if the Illini get past UNLV.

This is the all-injury region. Purdue is the No. 3 seed and has been without standout forward Robbie Hummel all season. Georgetown was in line to get a high seed until starting point guard Chris Wright broke his wrist a few weeks ago. The Hoyas slid to a No. 6, but are hopeful of getting Wright back in time for their first-round matchup.

Ditto for Florida State, which earned a No. 10 seed and hopes to get its star, Chris Singleton, back in time for its game against No. 7 Texas A&M. Singleton has been out for the past month with a foot injury.

Plenty of coaches who have gotten the most out of their talent are in this region: Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Purdue’s Matt Painter, Louisville’s Rick Pitino and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Best first-round...No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Richmond — Not only are these two terrific coaches in Kevin Stallings and Chris Mooney, but there also are plenty of players in this one. Vandy has Jeffery Taylor, John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli while the Spiders have Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney and Dave Martin)

Best potential m...No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Purdue — Two schools close in proximity that could meet in the Sweet 16. The Irish have more balance and are led by Ben Hansbrough while the Boilermakers will take advantage of JaJuan Johnson down low. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy and Joe Raymond)

Upset special:No. 11 USC over No. 6 Georgetown — The Trojans still have to beat VCU in the First Four just to get to the Hoyas, but G’Town won’t have Wright at 100 percent. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello and Kevin Rivoli)

Cinderella?No. 13 Richmond — The Spiders won the A-10 tournament and have one of the nation’s most underrated point guards in Kevin Anderson and a future pro in athletic forward Justin Harper. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

My pick:Kansas — I was worried about the Jayhawks' leadership and ability to implement Josh Selby into the rotation. Self has done the right thing, sticking with veteran guards Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed, who both move the ball, make shots and defend. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Storylines:A year ago, Kansas went in with all the expectations. Self returns to his old stomping grounds, Tulsa, where he coached years ago. Will KU be tested early after being knocked off by Northern Iowa in the second round last season?

Illinois has underachieved all season. Can Bruce Weber get this team playing with a sense of urgency? Senior Demetri McCamey has to step up in order for Illinois to beat UNLV and give Kansas a game.

Injuries. Two of the key ones are in this region: Georgetown’s Wright is expected to return after missing the past few weeks with a broken wrist. Florida State’s Singleton is hopeful of coming back after missing the past month with a broken foot. Can these guys pick up where they

Illinois coach Weber opens up against UNLV coach Lon Kruger, who formerly coached in Champaign. If he wins, he’ll go up against Self, the guy he replaced at Illinois.

Purdue lost Hummel prior to the start of the season with another torn ACL, but the Boilermakers have exceeded expectations, and much of it is because of the stellar play of big man JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)